Careers Provision
At Thomas Clarkson Academy (TCA) we are committed to developing the life chances of all our students. We aim to encourage and inspire all students through a programme of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG).
TCA has a statutory duty to provide independent careers advice and guidance for students across all year groups (The Education Act 2011 / Careers guidance and access for education and training providers Jan 2018). Careers education and guidance programmes play a significant role in helping young people choose future pathways that suit their interests, abilities and individual needs. The Careers Guidance programme at TCA will help students plan and manage their future pathways effectively, ensuring progression which is ambitious and aspirational. It will promote equality of opportunity, embrace diversity and challenge stereotyping. We will support students in making well-informed decisions by providing access to differentiated, impartial and independent information and guidance about the range of options (including academic, vocational, T-Levels and apprenticeships) that are most likely to help them to achieve their ambitions.
This programme complements relevant policies such as the Careers Strategy, PHSE, Work Experience, Provider Access and Safeguarding and should also be read in conjunction with our school’s motto to ‘transform, challenge and aspire’ providing our students with the best opportunities to achieve the academic qualifications and skills to progress to university or the career of their choice. We want our students to realise their potential.
Careers Education has never been as important as it is currently. With a changing landscape of education, training, and employment it is vital that young people are offered the highest quality education, advice, information and guidance to support and assist them in making choices and managing transitions. By helping students with decisions at crucial stages, informing them of all their options and introducing them to the world of work, we aim to prepare them for whichever pathway they choose.
Careers Guidance at TCA aims to encourage students to consider a wide range of options and opportunities and ultimately to go into courses and jobs which suit their needs, skills, ambitions, interests and qualities. Careers education and guidance programmes make a major contribution to preparing young people for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life. A planned and progressive programme of activities supports students in choosing pathways from 11-19 years old.
Our Careers Development Plan sets out our careers programme for the academic year, a programme which is designed to support, inspire and motivate students to take ownership of their own choices and consider action plans to enable them to succeed in life beyond TCA.
Careers provision within the school and sixth form is mapped against the DfE Careers guidance and access for education and training providers, the Gatsby Benchmarks and the CDI Framework for careers, employability and enterprise education. The programme is reviewed each year and we assess the impact of the careers programme with feedback from students, teachers, parents and employers so that we can continue to provide and improve the quality of our careers provision.
Click here to read TCA's Career Strategy for 2023/24
We are very proud to have been named as a partner school under the University of Cambridge’s HE partnership. Our college link is Trinity Hall.
Work Experience
TCA offer work experience for students in Year 10 and Year 12. This is to give them an insight into the world of work and develop their employability skills for the future.
Year 10 students complete one full week of work experience during February and Year 12 students have the opportunity to complete two weeks in the summer.
In the first instance, students are given 'own placement' forms that they can use to approach employers and agree their placement. This encourages students to source placements relevant to their own interests or test out a career they are considering. Alternatively, we have access to a database that students can use to request a placement.
Work placements provide a very valuable experience for students and we hope students will make the most of this opportunity. However, should students be unable to attend their placement at any point, for reason such as illness, both the employer and TCA must be informed of their absence. Employers are also required to confirm with TCA is a student does not attend.
For more details, click here to view the TCA Work Experience Protocol.
Students
Information booklet for Year 11 students
UCAS Undergraduate: Getting Started
Tips on writing a personal statement
Read Useful student destination information Here
Parents/Carers
Applying for Post 16 opportunities at Peterborough College
To access the recording please click on the link below.
Parents/Webinar – 23rd November 2023
https://youtu.be/Qa1JSXbMy3M
Employers
At Thomas Clarkson Academy, we recognise the importance of engaging with employers and offering students the opportunity to experience the world of work. This could be through careers events within school, work experience, talks from professionals or visits to work sites. These types of activities are vital in ensuring that our students are ambitious in their personal goals and that they are prepared for making future choices, and ultimately entering the work force, whether that be from university, college or through an apprenticeship.
We rely on employers working with us to deliver these experiences and ensure students are aware of the opportunities available not only within their local community, but also nationally and internationally. We appreciate your time is valuable, but would welcome the chance to discuss how you feel you could be involved - we’re happy to work with you to agree your commitment. For example, you could:
- Host a stand at our Careers Event – details TBC
- Provide a work experience placement (Click here to read employer feedback on last year’s work experience)
- Come in to give a talk about your profession to interested students.
- Take part in a careers activity – we often run these in conjunction with the Skills Service and employers share their knowledge and experiences with students, set them challenges or work with student groups to achieve a goal.
- Interview our students – enabling students to practice their interview skills and understand how they need to prepare. Each year, we look for people to interview our Year 13 students.
- Facilitate a visit to your workplace, allowing students to get a really good idea about what you do and how a workplace operates.
Some Previous Work Experience Providers
Name: Neil Kirby
Company: Stainless Metalcraft Ltd
Position: Apprentice Training Manager
Activities: Stainless Metalcraft hosts an event for Year 10 students in conjunction with the University of Cambridge, which is an introduction to engineering through a bridge-building challenge. The feedback I receive is very positive.
We also offer a work experience program for Year 10 students interested in a career in engineering.
The benefits of engaging with students: It benefits us because we offer opportunities for students to experience the working environment in an organisation that they may not have otherwise thought of. This could lead to them beginning a career in engineering and becoming the next generation of engineers within our organisation.
Companies in all types of industry should offer students the opportunity to experience the workplace environment.
Name: Marcia Davies
Company: Anglian Water
Position: Community Education Team Manager
How has Anglian Water worked with TCA?
Anglian Water has engaged with the staff and students at TCA in a number of different activities – from mock interviews to delivering whole days during Grab a Grade week, focusing on STEM and geography. With one of our partner organisations, Capgemini, we have also run ‘App in a Day’ for Year 12 students. During this activity, students work in teams to design a technological solution to reduce water consumption in agriculture, business, homes, while protecting the environment.
Another activity we have delivered is the ‘Water Supply Challenge’ challenging teams to design, cost, build and test a water supply network - a creative way to learn.
How have the activities been received by students?
The activities we are involved in are always well received by the students. They are all designed to enhance the student’s employability skills (problem-solving, communication, working under pressure, deadlines, negotiation skills, teamwork, organisation skills, etc).
How does it benefit your organisation to work with our students?
Anglian Water is committed to making a difference in the communities we serve. The existing and planned growth for the region requires a diverse skilled local workforce and we believe working with schools and teachers to inspire students in order to raise their aspirations and attainment is vital. We are committed to improving social mobility and improving diversity in our workplace.
Why do you think other companies should get involved?
Working with schools not only develops the students by raising attainment and aspiration, but it also has a positive effect on our workforce who get involved and helps develop their employability skills.
Additional Information
Click on the links below to view some of the ways in which companies and organisations have worked with us to offer our students an experience beyond the classroom.
Anglian Water helps students explore careers in engineering
Tata Consultancy Services talk to students about careers in ICT
Capgemini discusses degree apprenticeships into the digital sector
HIT training delivers chef skills workshop
Metalcraft demonstrates the careers in engineering
For more information or to find out how you can get involved, contact us at office@thomasclarksonacademy.org or by calling 01945 585237.
We look forward to working with you to create an inspiring future!
Labour Market Information
Policies
The Gatsby Benchmarks
The Government’s careers strategy, published on 4 December 2017, sets out a long-term plan to build a world-class careers system that will help young people and adults choose the career that is right for them. To achieve this aim, the careers strategy sets out that every school and academy providing secondary education should use the Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s Benchmarks to develop and improve their careers provision.
The 8 benchmarks are set out below:
The Enterprise Adviser & Careers Hub
Careers Hubs
Since October 2015, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, in partnership with the Careers and Enterprise Company, has also been running a Careers Hub in East Cambs and Fenland Enterprise Partnership area. This Careers Hub was put in place to build on the support provided through the Enterprise Adviser Networks to achieve benchmarks 5 and 6 and support schools / colleges to achieve all eight of the Gatsby Benchmarks.
What is a Careers Hub?
A Careers Hub is a group of secondary schools / colleges / SEN Schools located in the same geographical area working with universities, other education and training providers, employers and career guidance professionals to ensure that ALL the Gatsby Benchmarks are delivered in each school and college within the Hub and that careers outcomes are improved for all young people. Schools and colleges within the Hub should have a shared vision of how they will work together to improve outcomes for the young people in their area. TCA is supported by Alvina Morey (Senior Enterprise Co-ordinator) and Kieren Cross (Enterprise Advisor). The role of the Enterprise Co-ordinator and Advisor is to work directly with the school careers leader to support their careers programme. They combine their passion for raising the aspirations of young people with their strategic skills to help put opportunities with local employers at the heart of a young person’s education.
Sector of the term: Engineering
Useful Links
UCAS
Click here for information on degree apprenticeships.
Help from the National Careers Service
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/
Students can speak to advisers from the National Careers Service Monday - Saturday via telephone, webchat, email or text. The website also contains lots of valuable information about Careers and exploring job roles.
Kudos
https://kudos.cascaid.co.uk/#/
iCould
www.icould.com
icould tells students the inside story of how careers work. It includes case studies of people discussing their career paths, as well as articles and videos.
Amazing Apprenticeships
https://amazingapprenticeships.com/
HelpYouChoose
helpyouchoose.org
HelpYouChoose is the information, advice and careers guidance website for young people in Norfolk.
Opendays.com - The university and college open day directory
www.opendays.com
Contacts
Mrs Sharon Smith - Careers Leader | Sharon.Smith@Thomasclarksonacademy.org
Mr Ryan Hall - Careers Advisor | Ryan.Hall@thomasclarksonacademy.org